Firearm sight



Dec. 7, 1943.

K. J. LOWE 2,336,108

FIREARM S IGHT Filed Aug. 8, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Dec. 7, 1943 FIREARM SIGHT Kenneth J. `Lowe, Ilion, N. Y., assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application August 8, 1942, Serial No. 454,092

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in `firearms sight, and particularly a rear si-ght for rifles wherein the sight-piece has both altitude adjustment to compensate for range distance Variations and lateral adjustment to compensate for windage deiiection. It is an object of the invention to provide a sight mechanism of simple, sturdy and accurate construction, wherein all of the parts are capable of quick and convenient dis-assembly and re-assembly, for the purpose of inspection, cleaning and repair or replacement of parts, and wherein the accurate tting and operation of the parts will not be appreciably altered through long use and repeated dis-assembly and assembly of the parts, it being pointed out in this respect that it is good practice in the use of firearms to frequently dis-assemble and assemble the various parts for the purpose of inspection and cleaning, and that this operation must very often be performed in the field with a minimum of tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sight structure including a mounting and protective frame, arranged to provide a guard to protect the movable parts of the sight against damage from handling or striking extraneous objects, and further to provide an adjustable mounting for such frame whereby it may be accurately adjusted and secured upon the individual rifle.

A further object is to provide inclined elevating supports for the sight-piece, wherein rigid guide arms are provided for rigidly supporting the sight-piece in predetermined positions of adjustment.

A further object is to provide a detent adjustment for the sight-piece, operative through manual sliding of the sight-piece along its inclined supports, and wherein such detent means snaps into aligned position with each range calibration, so that the range adjustment may be performed simply by sliding the sight-piece and counting the clicks, with the assurance that the positions of adjustment of the sight-piece will be accurately ilXed.

Another object is to provide windage adjustment means, whereby the sight-piece and its elevating supports are bodily adjustable as a unit, and wherein the Various positions of lateral adjustment are accurately predetermined by detent means arranged to indicate through clicking the exact increments of lateral adjustment.

A further object is to provide tensioning means for the several movable parts of the sight, so that looseness is prevented without sacrifice of smooth and easy operation, and wear is automatically compensated for without affecting accuracy.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and the invention will be iinally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the right-hand side of the rear sight for rearms, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation looking from the barrel end of the rifle.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the left-hand side of the si-ght, and showing in dot-and-dash lines an elevated position of adjustment of the sightpiece.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, looking from the stock end of the rifle.

Fig. 5 is a top plan View.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken along the line 'l-l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation showing the right-hand side of the mounting frame member.

Fig. 9 is a top plan View of the mounting frame member.

Fig. 10 is a detail outer side view of the tensioning and detent spring washer of the windage adjustment screw.

Fig. 11 is an edge view thereof.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the right-hand side of the sight-piece carrying block member.

Fig. 13 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 14 is a detail rear elevation of the sightpiece.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the right-hand side of the sight-piece.

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of the sight-piece.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the rear sight, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, is mounted upon the upper side of the rearward portion of the bolt-carrying receiver part I0 of the rifle, and for this purpose the upper surface of the receiver part is provided with a flat horizontal mounting platform Il provided with a transversely extending dove-tail rib ifii iioiliii I 2, for interlockingly mounting the sight in properly aligned relation to the axis of the rifle barrel.

The sight comprises a frame member, indicated generally as I3, of U-shape in cross-section having a horizontal base portion I4 and vertically extending side wall portions I5 and I6, the base I4 being provided with a transversely extending dove-tail slot I'I slidably and interlockingly engaged with the dove-tail rib I2 of the receiver, a set screw I8 being provided in the base and adapted to be tightened against the iiat platform surface II of the receiver to x the position of the frame with respect to the receiver. The adjustable mounting of the frame upon the receiver permits accurate adaptation of the sight to the particular rifle, and while the mounting position is normally xed, and the adjustability of the frame with respect to the receiver does not enter into the normal operation of the sight adjustments, the arrangement permits convenient removal and replacement of the frame for the purpose of inspection and cleaning.

Beveled reinforcing corner formations I9 are provided betwen the base I4 and the side wall portions I5 and IB, and transversely across the base there is provided a concave clearance recess 20, providing clearance for the lateral adjustment of the sight-carrying block member, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the reinforcing portions I9 extending from each end of the frame to this clearance recess. The base of the frame overhangs the sides of the receiver part I at each end of the dove-tail recess I 1, and the lower longitudinal corners of the frame are beveled, as at 2I, at each side of the ends of the dove-tail recess from the outer vertical side surfaces of the side portions I and I6 to the outer vertical side surfaces of the receiver part I0.

In the side wall portion I 6 there is provided a shouldered counterbored hole including an outer circular bearing portion 22, which forms a journal and thrust bearing for the head end of the windage adjustment screw, presently to be more fully described, and a reduced diameter inner cylindrical passage portion 23. In axial alignment with the bearing hole portion 22 there is provided in the inner side of the side wall p0rtion I5 a cylindrical bearing hole 24, to provide bearing for the stem end of the screw, and in the outer side there is provided in c-oncentric relation to the bearing hole 24 a circular recess 25 adapted to receive the hub of the adjustment screw knob. This recess 25 is provided with a counterbored recess 25 having vertical parallel side walls, its upper wall beingconcentric and coincident with the upper wall of the recess 25, and its lower end, as well as the lower end of the bearing recess 25, opening downwardly in the upper wall of the dove-tail recess I1 where the latter overhangs the side wall of the receiving part I0. The non-circular counterbored recess 26 is adapted to receive a detent and tensioning spring washer member in non-rotatable relation, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The upper sides of the side wall portions I5 and I6 are inclined upwardly from the front to rear, this inclination being parallel to the inclined plane along which the sight-piece is adapted to be adjusted, and these side wall portions provide outwardly spaced xed guard walls at each side of the sight-piece of a length corresponding to the complete range of adjustment of the sightpiece and of a height which is in constant relation to the sight-piece in any position of adjustment of the latter.

Within the frame member I3 there is provided for lateral adjustment movement between the side wall portions I5 and I6 a sight-carrying block member 2l, of a length corresponding to the length of the frame member, and of a width substantially less than the internal width of the frame member, and having a transversely, extending threaded passage 28 substantially centrally thereof in axial alignment with the bearing holes 22 and 24 of the frame member, this threaded passage being engaged by the windage adjustment screw 29.

The screw 29 is provided at one end with a slotted head 30 having bearing engagementl in the bearing hole portion 22 in the left-hand side wall IB of the frame member, and is provided at its other end with a stem portion 3l having bearing engagement inthe bearing hole 24 in the right-hand side wall I5. The stem 3| projects outwardly from the frame and is provided with an annular concave groove 32, a knob 33 being engaged upon the projecting end of the stem and xed thereto by a set-screw 34 provided in the knob and having a ball end 35 engaging the groove 32. The hub 36 of the knob has bearing in the bearing recess 25 and is provided in its inner face with an annular recess 3'I, the inner face of the annular rim portion surrounding this recess being provided with four equally spaced V-shaped radial detent notches 38.

Within the counterbored recess 25 there is provided an apertured spring washer 39 engaged aboutthe stem 3I of the screw, and having an intermediate flat parallel sided portion which engages the vertical parallel side walls of the recess 26 so as to be retained in non-rotatable relation in the recess. Above and below the intermediate at portion the spring is curved outwardly to the at upper and lower end portions, the upper end portion being provided with vertically disposed detent projection 43 of V-shape in cross-section for detenting engagement in the notches 38. The side edges of the spring above and below its intermediate fiat portion are slightly convergent, so that the upper and lower springy portions are free to flex within the recess 26, the detent projection successively engaging the notches to determine and retain the position of the knob, yielding out of engagement with the notches as the knob is manually turned.

The turning of the knob and screw adjusts the sight-carrying block member 2'I laterally for the purpose of compensating for windage deflection, the rearward face of the block member being provided with calibrated index markings 4I in relation to an index marking 42 provided centrally of the rear face of the base of the frame member. The markings 4I are preferably spaced to correspond to the traverse of the block produced by one rotation of the screw, finer adjustments being predetermined by the notches 38 in the knob, each detenting position of which corresponds to a quarter of each of the index markings 4I. In addition to its function yof providing a detenting stop means for the knob and screw the spring 39 also exerts thrust upon the screw to maintain the head 30 in thrust bearing engagement with the bearing hole portion 22, and consequently the parts Will be maintained in snug engagement under tension, automatically taking up for any slight wear upon the bearings. The windage adjustment screw is adapted to be conveniently assembled and re-assembled by engaging it through the clearance passage 23 and thereupon assembling the spring and knob thereon, its convenient removal being accomplished simply by removing the knob and spring and withdrawing it through the clearance passage 23 by unscrewing it from the block member 21.

The block member 21 is supported at its forward end upon the base I4 of the frame member by means of a transversely extending step bearing rib 43, which is pressed into engagement with the base under tension by means of a plunger foot member 44 provided iny a cylindrical pocket 45 in the underside of the block member near its rearward end, the stem 46 of the plunger having bearing in a counterbored bearing passage 41 in the upper side of the block member, and a helical spring 48 being engaged about the stem between the plunger head and the upper end of the pocket. This plunger exerts force upon the block member tending to rotate it about the axis of the windage adjustment screw and thus presses the step bearing rib 43 against the base, so that, while the block member is thus held under tension in snug engagement with the screw and the frame member, there is a minimum of contact surface between the block and the frame thus permitting the adjusting operation to be carried out smoothly with a minimum of resistance, while at the same time eliminating al1 looseness between the parts and automatically compensating for any wear that may take place. The arrangement also prevents any possibility of jamming due to shock or impact.

Centrally of the underside of the block member there is provided a projecting convex rib portion 49, concentric to the threaded passage 23, providing a thickened reinforcement for the passage, this rib being disposed in the concave clearance recess 20 of the frame. In the lower longitudinal corners of the block member there are provided beveled clearance recesses 50, the inner end walls of which are spaced from the threaded passage 28, and which recesses provide clearance spaces for receiving the reinforcing corner portions I9 of the frame member as the block member is laterally adjusted to one side or the other.

The top surface of the sight-carrying block 21 is inclined at its rearward portion downwardly toward the forward end, as at I, and at its forward portion is horizontally channeled, as at 52, to provide a sighting clearance space, and along its sides there are provided vertically disposed longitudinal guide walls 53 and 54, the upper sides of which are inclined upwardly from front to rear in parallel relation to the plane of the inclined top surface 5I. The wall 53 is provided at its inner surface with -a guide groove 55, open at each end, and the wall 54 is provided with a f guide groove 56, open at its forward end, and provided at its rearward end with a closure wall 51 adapted to form a rearward stop abutment for the sight-piece, as will presently more fully appear. In the inclined top surface 5I there is provided a groove 58 extending longitudinally along its center line, closed at its forward end by a stop wall 59, and extending at its rearward end to the horizontal channeled surface 52, and which is adapted to provide a forward stop abutment to limit the forward adjustment movement of the sight-piece, as will presently more fully appear. 'I'he upper surface of the wall 54 is provided with a series of notches 60, spaced in accordance with range distance calculations, and in transverse alignment therewith the upper surface of the wall 53 is provided with a series of calibrations 6I having identifying numbers 62 indicating yardages, the illustrated numbers 2 to 8 indicating 200y to 800 yards.

along an inclined plane to vary its elevation.V

Upon the upper side of the base 63, forwardly of the sight portion 64, there is provided a leaf spring 68 projecting at each side and adapted to engage the respective upper sides of the side walls 53 and 54 of the sight-carry block member, the projecting end engaging the wall 53 extending only partially thereover, so that of the calibrations 6I and the numbers 62 remain visible, while the other projecting end extends over the full Width of the wall 54 and is provided with a tooth projection 69 for detenting engagement with the notches 60. The spring is secured in a shouldered recess 'I0 in the upper surface of the base by means ofa cap-screw 1I screwed into a threaded hole 12 provided through the base, the lower end of the screw being provided with a pin end 13 projecting below the undersurface of the sightpiece and loosely engaged in the groove 58 of the sight-carrying block member. The abutment of the pin end 13 with the forward wall 59 of the groove limits the forwardly adjusted position of the sight-piece, as shown in Fig. 3, and the rearward end wall 51 of the groove 56 limits the rearwardly adjusted position through abutment of the base iiange 61 therewith, as shown in dotand-dash lines in Fig. 3.

The sight-piece is adjusted by sliding it manually along the sight-carrying block member, the leaf spring 68 detenting in the notches 60 and determining the positions of adjustment. The fit of the spring and the sight-piece with respect to the side walls and the guide grooves of the sight-carrying block member is such that the sight-piece is firmly held under tension in any position of adjustment. It will be observed that in any position of adjustment the sight-piece maintains a substantially constant relation with respect to the side walls of the sight-carrying block member and the side walls I5 and I6 of the frame, the latter constituting guards for both the block member and the sight-piece. Conse quently, the sight-piece and its sight opening always remain in the same relative position irrespective of the position of adjustment, the rearward surface of the sight portion 64 presenting a flat vertical surface to the eye of the riilernan, and the sight opening being at all times normal to the sighting axis indicated by the arrow in Figs. l, 3 and 6. Lateral adjustment of the sight-piece to compensate for windage deflection is conveniently carried out simply by turning the knob 33, one complete turn of the knob affecting a lateral adjustment corresponding to one of the index markings 4I, and each detent click of the knob indicating a lateral adjustment of one quarter of one of the markings 4I.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and described herein is typical and illustrative only, and it is evident that the invention is capable of embodiments in other forms, all falling within the scope of the appended claims, which are to be broadly construed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rearms sight, a sight-carrying member including a pair of laterally spaced side walls having laterally aligned guide-way grooves in their inner surfaces, the upper surfaces of said walls being inclined in parallel relation to said grooves, and one of said upper surfaces having longitudinally spaced detenting notches, a sightpiece guidably mounted in said guide-way grooves whereby it is adapted to be height-adjusted through movement along said guide-way grooves, and a retaining leaf spring secured at its intermediate portion to the upper side of said sightpiece and yieldably engaged at its end portions with said side-wall upper surfaces, one end portion of said spring having a detenting projection for engagement in said notches.

2. In a rearms sight, a sight-carrying member including a base and a pair of laterally spaced side walls having laterally aligned inclined guide-way grooves in their inner surfaces, the upper surfaces of said walls being inclined in parallel relation to said grooves, said sight-carrying member having a groove in its base closed at one end, a sight-piece guidably mounted in said guide-way grooves whereby it is adapted to be height-adjusted through movement along said guide-way grooves, a set-screw removably carried by said sight-piece and engaged in said base groove, and a retaining spring removably secured to the upper side of said sight-piece by said set-screw and yieldably engaged with said side-wall upper surfaces.

. 3. In a firearms sight, a sight-carrying member including a, base and a pair of laterally spaced side Walls having laterally aligned inclined guide-way grooves in their inner surfaces, inclined upwardly from front to rear, one of said grooves having a stop abutment closure wall at its rearward end, a sight-piece guidably mounted in said guide-way grooves whereby it is adapted to be height-adjusted through movement along said guide-way grooves, said sight-carrying member having a groove in its base having a, stop abutment closure wall at its forward end, and a set-screw removably carried by said sightpiece and engaged in said base groove.

4. In a firearms sight, a mounting frame adapted to be fixed to the firearm and including a base and a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a sight-carrying member disposed in said frame for lateral adjustment movement between said side walls, and including a longitudinally extending inclined guide-way means, an adjustment screw for eiecting said lateral adjustment having bearings in said side walls and engaged through said sight-carrying member, a spring-pressed plunger member cooperatively arranged at one side of the axis of said screw between said sightcarrying member and the base of said frame adapted to exert rotative pressure on said sightcarrying member about said screw to press its side at the other side of the axis of said screw against said frame, and a sight-piece guidably mounted on said guide-way means whereby it is adapted to be height-adjusted through movement along said guide-way means.

5. In a rearms sight, a mounting frame adapted to be fixed to the firearm and including a base and a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a sight-carrying member disposed in said frame for lateral adjustment movement, and including a longitudinally extending vertically inclined guide-way means, an adjustment screw having bearing in said side walls and engaged through said sight-carrying member for effecting said lateral adjustment, a bearing step at the underside of said sight-carrying member adjacent one end, a spring-pressed plunger carried by said sight-carrying member adjacent its other end and engaged with the base of said frame adapted to exert rotative pressure on said sight-carrying member about said screw to press said bearing step against .the base of said frame, and a sightpiece guidably mounted on said guide-way means whereby it is adapted to be height-adjusted through movement along said guide-way means.

6. In a rearms sight, a mounting frame adapted to be xed to the firearm and including a base and a pair of laterally spaced side walls, one of said side walls having a counter-bored thrust and journal bearing hole, and the other side wall having a journal bearing hole, a sightcarrying member mounted on said frame for lateral adjustment movement, and including a longitudinally extending vertically inclined guideway means, an adjustment screw having a head end having a bearing in said thrust and journal bearing hole, a threaded part adapted to have engaging and disengaging passage through said thrust and journal bearing hole and engaged through said sight-carrying member, and a reduced-diameter stem end having bearing in said journal bearing hole, a knob removably engaged on said stem end, and spring means arranged between said knob and said frame adapted to exert thrust pressure on said adjustment screw.

7. In a rearms sight, a mounting frame adapted to be fixed to the firearm and including a base and a pair of laterally spaced side walls, one of said side walls having a counterbored thrust and journal bearing hole, and the other side wall having a journal bearing hole, a sightcarrying member mounted on said frame for lateral adjustment movement, and including a longitudinally extending vertically inclined guideway means, an adjustment screw having a head end having a bearing in said thrust and journal bearing hole, a threaded part adapted to have engaging and disengaging passage through said thrust and journal bearing hole and engaged through said sight-carrying member, and a reduced-diameter stem end having bearing in said journal bearing hole, a knob removably engaged on said stem end, and having a plurality of radial detent means, and spring means arranged between said knob and said frame adapted to exert thrust pressure on said adjustment screw, and having detent means cooperatively engaged with said knob detent means.

8. In a rearms sight, a mounting frame adapted to be Xed to the rearm including a base and a pair of laterally spaced side Walls including upper surfaces arranged in a vertically inclined plane, a sight-carrying member mounted on the base of said frame for lateral adjustment movement between said side walls, and including a longitudinally extending inclined guide-way means arranged in parallel relation to said vertically inclined plane, a transversely disposed adjustment screw carried by said side walls and engaged with said sight-carrying member, and a sight-piece including an inclined base parallel to said inclined plane and guidably mounted on said guide-way means, whereby it is adapted to be height-adjusted through movement along said guide-way means, and a transverse vertically disposed sight-carrying portion rigidly xed to said inclined base.

9. In a rearms sight, a mounting frame adapted to be xed to the firearm and including a base and a pair of laterally spaced side Walls; a sight-carrying member disposed in said frame for lateral adjustment movement between said side Walls and including a longitudinally extending vertically inclined guide-Way means; an adjustment screw having bearings in said side walls and engaging said sight-carrying member for effecting lateral adjustment thereof; a sightpiece including an inclined base portion parallel to and guidably mounted on said guide-Ways whereby it is adapted to be height adjusted through movement along said guide-Ways means; and a transverse vertically disposed sight-carrying portion integral with said inclined base,

KENNETH J. LOWE. 

